Stripping mechanism for traveling flats of carding-engines



R. T. COMER.

STRIPPING MECHANISM FOR TRAVELING FLATS 0F CARDING ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1920.

Patented June 21, 1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

In venfw": i; m aRmi k witness.- @M WM R. T. COMER. STRlPPlNG MECHANISM FOR TRAVELING FLATS 0F CARDING ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2 5. i920.

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2 0/ e mm W W W n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN T. COMER, 0F COMER, GEORGIA.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 21, 1921,

Application filed. June 25, 1920. Serial No. 391,656.

To aZZ 10710922 in may concern-.-

Be it known that l, REUBEN T. COMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corner, in the county of Madison, State of Georgia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stripping Mechanism for Traveling Flats of Caroling-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the ac companying drawings.

The invention provides improved mechanism in which a reciprocating fiat-stripper which strips the traveling flats of a carding engine successively as their traveling movement carries them past the stripper, and a strippings receiver, have combined therewith a moving clearer by which the strip pings collected by the stripper are moved to the said receiver. The'said mechanism preferably includes also a shelf above which the stripper works in the final portion of its stripping stroke, and over which the flatstrippings are moved by the clearer from the flat-stripper to the strippings receiver, which last usually is a cradle within which the strippings are accumulated. The said shelf may be constituted by a marginal portion or lip of the receiving cradle. The mechanism includes also means whereby the stripper in its movements is guided in working relations with the face of a fiat approaching the shelf or lip, and over the shelf or lip. Also, means whereby the strippings clearer as it reciprocates over the shelf or lip is guided so that in its recovery stroke it moves free of the stripper and the strippings carried thereby, while in its working stroke it moves close to the shelf or lip and moves the flat-strippings to the receiver.

The drawings show an illustrative embodiment of the features of the invention, which is also the preferred embodiment thereof, although the said. features mayin some cases be embodied in *arious other forms of construction.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows the said illustrative embodiment in side elevation, together with a portion of a chain of traveling flats. and certain associated parts.

Fig. 2 shows certain of the parts of Fig. 1. looking from the ri'ght-handv side in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one end of the carrier-bar of the flat-stripper.

Fig. 4 comprises elevations of said end.

Fig. 5 shows the carrier-bar and stripperblade in cross-section.

Fig. 6 is a view of one of the stands of the stripping mechanism, detached, in side elevation.

Fig. 7 comprises views of the follower which is attached to the carrier-bar of the flat-stripper.

Fig. 8 shows the screw by which said follower is attached to the carrier-bar.

Fig. 9 comprises views of the roll carried by the end of the carrier-bar.

Figs. 10 and 11, respectively, are views in side elevation and plan of the pivoted switch-cam for the moving strippingsclearer.

A few of the individual flats a, a, of the chain of traveling flats of a traveling fiat carding engine are represented in Fig. 1, and one of the sheaves or wheels 6 by which the upper run of the said chain of flats is supported intermediate the place at which the chain leaves the surface of the main cylinder (not shown) and the place where the chain returns into working relations with said surface. The said figure shows also a portion of the supporting stand 0 of the said sheave or wheel, in practice mounted upon a stationary part of the carding engine.

In this embodiment of the invention the flat-stripper comprises a blade (Z having a finely-toothed acting edge, and a carrier-bar d to which the blade is attached. The flatstripper is located adjacent the sheaves or wheels 6, close to the path of the outer run of the chain of flats, so that in the short reciprocating strokes of the flat-stripper,

which are in the direction of the width of the flats. the toothed edge of the blade strips the card-clothed faces of the flats as the latter successively are carried past the flatstripper by the traveling movement of the chain of flats.

The flat-stripper is controlled and guided during the reciprocatory strokes thereof, so as to cause the blade to assume the proper angle or inclination and cause the toothed edge of the blade to move in the required path. For this purpose, a fixed stand 6 (one of which is shown separately in Fig. 6) at each side of the carding engine is formed with a. camslot 7 that is shaped to correspond with such path, and in which works a follower 9 (shown separately in Fig. 7) that is carried by the corresponding end of carrier-bar cl. The follower is attached to said end by means of a screw it (shown separately in Fig. 8) projecting from the end, and a lock-nut 2', Fig. 2, applied to the screw at the outer side of the follower. It is internally screw-threaded, as shown in Fig. 7, and is screwed upon the stem of the screw until it presses firmly against the carrier-bar end, and the lock-nut z'is screwed up firmly against the outer side of the follower. Thereby the follower and carrierbar are connected together fixedly, so that neither thereof can turn relative to the other. The follower being confined between the upper and lower walls of the camslot f, the inclination of the blade'is determined at all points in the stroke of 'the flat-stripper through the engagement ofthe follower with such walls. The shape of the slot determines both the path of the edge of the blade, and the inclination of the blade.

The short reciprocatory strokes are communicated to the flat-stripper by a vibrating lever It having a fulcrum m upon the stand c and actuated through a motion-transmitting linkn from an arm 0 having in practice a vibrating movement imparted thereto from suitable working parts of the carding engine. A radial slot 76, Fig. 1, in the lever 7s receives a roll Fig. 9, mounted on the reduced plain outer end-portion h, Fig. 8, of screw h, said roll serving to reduce friction. The roll is kept in place upon the said end portion by means of a washer 70 and screw 72 the stem of the latter enter ing a threaded axial hole in the said outer end-portion h of the screw.

The illustrated strippings receiver or cradle g] has its top arched over, with only a comparatively narrow opening at the side 7 adjacent the flat-stripper, so that a mass of fiat-strippings occupying the cradle will be confined from above, and will be retained within the cradle. The margin of the lower portion of the cradle is attached to the shelf 9", the latter being fastened at its ends to lugs r, Fig. 6, on the stands 6. The camslots 7 are so shaped that as the flat-stripper nears the end of its stripping stroke its edge is raised above that of the shelf, so as to clear the latter, and the final portion of such stroke extends over the shelf, the stripper being rocked slightly so as to place the blade more nearly in parallelism with the surface of the shelf. Thereby the transfer of the fiat-strippings to the cradle is facilitated.

The strippings-clearer s of this embodimeans of a link 2? to the vibrating arm 0,

and thereby is reciprocated toward and from the flat-stripper. The fiat-stripper and the strippings-clearer being both connected to and operated by means of the arm 0, they are caused to move simultaneously, but by reason of the interposition of lever 70 the movement of the fiat-stripper is reversed relative to that of the strippings-clearer, so that the two, in moving simultaneously, move oppositely with reference to each other. In its stroke toward the fiat-stripper the strippings-clearer is lifted clear of the flat-stripper, so that as the flat-stripper, after stripping a flat, advances over the shelf or lip 1" the clearer, while moving to meet the flat-stripper. is raised away from the shelf or lip sufiiciently'to pass above the flat-stripper, clear of the latter and its load of flat-strippings. This raising of the strippings-clearer is effected by means of the inclined switch-cam M, which is pivoted at u to lugs a if, L carrier-bar cl of the fiatstrippcn As the strippings-clearer moves toward the flat stripper and the stripping stroke of the flatstripper carries the latter and the switchcam toward the strippings-clearer the outwardly-projecting end-portion of the bolt '0 which connects the bar a to the link 6 rides up along the inclined top surface of the switch-cam. Thereby the raising of the strippings-clearer is effected, so that it and the movin fiat-stripper pass each other at different heights. The strippings-clearer then is permitted to fall upon the flattripper behind the load of fiatstrippings by reason of the bolt 0) dropping off the upper end a of the switch-cam. In the reversed movements of the flat-stripper and stripprojecting upward from the pings-clearer, the end of bolt 1) passes under I.

the switch cam, which swings upward around its pivotal connection with carrierbar (5. Slot t in link If, receiving bolt Q), enables the strippingsclearer to be adjusted toward and from the flat-stripper so as to cause it to work in proper harmony therewith.

The switch-cam is made vertically adjustableto vary its engaging relations with bolt 41, and also vary the height which the strippings-clearer is raised, by means of the adjustment-screw to, Figs. 1, 10, and 11, fitted to a threaded hole tapped through the stem of the switch-cam and resting by its free end upon a shoulder at the base of lugs 14 W, oncarrier-bar cl.

The strippings-receiver is shown in the drawings located next to a portion of the upper run of the chain of traveling flats which extends in an inclined direction downward from the top portion of sheave b, preferably the inclined portion at the front of the carding engine extending down close to the dofter. The said receiver is shaped underneath to conform to the said inclined portion of the chain, and the flats-stripper is arranged to operate upon the flats at the top of the incline. However, the present invention is not restricted to use of the improved stripping mechanism in this particular location. The latteris convenient when in accordance with the subject-matter of another invention. The direction of travel of the flats is reversed, so that the flats next the surface of the cylinder travel oppositely with relation to the said surface, from a point adjoining the doffer at the front of the machine to a point adjoining the licker-in at the back of the machine. The advantages of this reversal in the direction of movement of theflats, and of the location of a flat stripping mechanism in a position where it acts upon the flats at the doffer end, or front, of the carding engine just priorto their return to working relations with the surface of a carding engine cylinder, are that the carded cotton is freer from bits of hull and other impurities affecting the appearance of the yarns spun therefrom, less waste in strippings is produced to cause loss to the manufacturer, and the yarns are stronger because the carding operation is better performed. Bits of hull, etc., clinging to the fibers, proceeding with the cotton from the licker-in to the cylinder and carried around by the surface of the latter, are detained by those flats which are nearest the lickenin, and as these flats are very soon separated from the said surface, in passing upward around the guidesheaves at this end of the machine, the bits of hull held by them are taken away from between the cylinder and flats and are stripped from the flats, together with the othe waste material held by the latter, by the action of the flat-stripper before the flats return again into carding relations with the cylinder. When the flats next the surface of the cylinder travel in the same direction with said surface, as in usual practice, the bits of hull detained by the flats adjoining the licker-in remain subject more or less to the action of the cziird-clothing of the cylinder throughout the whole travel of the flats to the point adjoining the dofler where they separate from the cylinder-surface. Conse quently the bits of bull become more or less.

distintegrated and the particles thereof re main in the cotton as it leaves the carding engine and appear in the yarns spun ther from. A greater proportion of waste in strippings occurs, owing to the fact that many of the bits of bull are forced in between the wires of the card-clothing, depressing fibers of the cotton among such wires, so that much good material becomes thus embedded and is removed in the strippings. The yarns produced from the cotton that is carded on an engine in which the direction of the travel of the flats is reversed as aforesaid are stronger because the carding operation is performed better. The flats which last act upon'the material just prior to its transfer to the dolfer are clear and free from dirt, and consequently do not mix impurities, etc, with the carded cotton about to be taken from the cylinder.

What is claimed as the invention is,

1. in a traveling flat carding engine, the combination with a chain of traveling flats, of a strippings cradle and a shelf or lip, adjacent the path in which said chain travels, a flat-stripper which reciprocates across the face of a flat adjacent said shelf or lip and also over the shelf or lip, a cam-guide by which the stripper in its strokes is guided across the face of such flat and over the shelf or lip, a reciprocating strippings clearer, and a pivoted switch-cam which separates the clearer from the shelf or plate during the ingoing movement of the clearer, and permits it to travel close thereto in its outgoing movement in pushing the strippings to the cradle.

9. In a traveling flat carding engine, the combination with a chain of traveling flats, of a strippings cradle and a shelf or lip adj acent the path in which said chain travels, a flat-stripper, a strippings clearer, means acting to reciprocate the stripper and clearer to function in alternating sequence, a camguide by which the stripper in its strokes is guided across the face of a flat approaching the shelf or lip and over the shelf or lip, and a pivoted switch-cam which moves the clearer outward from the shelf or lip dur ing the ingoing movement and permits it to travel close thereto in its outgoing movement in pushing the strippings to the cradle.

3. The combination with a chain of traveling flats, of flat-stripping devices comprising, a strippings-cradle and a shelf or lip adjacent the path in which said chain travels, a flat-stripper which reciprocates across the face of a flat approaching said shelf or lip and also over the shelf or lip, and a moving clearer which works in con junction with the stripper and moves the strippings over the shelf or lip toward the cradle.

4-. The combination with a chain of traveling flats, of a reciprocating flat'stripper, a strippings-receiver and a shelf or lip ad-. joining the said stripper, means for guiding the stripper in working relations with the face of the flat approaching the latter and over the shelf or lip, and a strippingsclearer.

The combination with a chain of traveling flats, and flat-stripping devices comprising a reciprocating flat-stripper which strips the flats as their traveling movement carries them successively past the stripper, and a stripping -receiver, of a moving clearer by which the strippings collected by the stripper are moved to the receiver.

6. In a traveling'fiat carding engine the combination with a chain of traveling flats of a fiat-stripper, means including a vibrating arm in sliding engagement with said flat-stripper for reciprocating the latter across the face of a fiat passing the stripping point in the machine, a strippings cradle and a shelf or lip adjacent the path in which the chain of flats moves, means for guiding the stripper in its stripping movement in a path parallel with the face of the flat and over the said shelf or lip, and means for taking care of the fiat-strippings as the stripper makes its recovery stroke.

7. The combination with a chain of traveling flats, of a reciprocating flat-stripper, a strippings-receiver,

pings away fromvthe latter and moving the same to the receiver.

8. The combination with a chain of traveling flats of a shelf or lip adjacent the path in which the flats travel, a stripper which reciprocates across the path of a fiat passing the stripping point in the machine, and over the said shelf or lip, a strippings-clearer reciprocating over said shelf or lip, and means for guiding the clearer so that in its recovery-stroke it moves free of the stripper andthe strippings carried thereby.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REUBEN T'. COMER. 

